“Those days I was gone, when I was abducted, I didn’t have my pills.”
“You mean…”
“I’m a little late. Now this may not mean anything—”
He pulled me to him and crushed his lips to mine.
I opened for him instantly, our tongues twirling in a ferocious yet meaningful kiss. When we finally broke away from each other and inhaled, he cupped my cheek.
“Wow. Just wow.”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m sorry this didn’t occur to me before. I’m a doctor, for God’s sake. But there’s been so much going on…”
“Baby, this is the best news ever. No wonder you wanted tonic water tonight.”
I smiled. “I actually had a few drinks before this occurred to me, but not enough to matter, and I won’t drink again. And it’s not really any news yet. I’ll go into town tomorrow and get a pregnancy test. Then we’ll know for sure.”
“The test will be positive. I already know it. All this time, all this new information, not knowing who my father really was… It’s all taken its toll. Sometimes I’ve wondered how we’d get through it all. But now everything is okay. I know everything will be okay.”
“Jonah, everything’s going to be okay anyway. Look at how much Talon has healed. And now Bryce… We’re going through a tough time, but we will be okay.”
“I know. I know we would’ve been okay no matter what. But now… A baby. I see the way Bryce looks at Henry. I want that, Melanie, and I want it with you.”
I let out a sigh. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I was worried about what you might think. That you’d think I subconsciously trapped you because I didn’t think about the pills I had missed.”
“I would never think that. And it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m happy about the news.”
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“We have to take a test to be sure. And even then, Jonah, I’m not a young woman. Things can go wrong at my age. I’ll have a lot of tests and probably an amniocentesis. I’ll be considered high risk just because of my age.”
“Then you will have the best care money can buy. We’ll make sure all the risks are taken care of.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. How I truly hoped the test would be positive tomorrow. Because right now, I wanted to have Jonah’s child more than I wanted my next breath of air.
“I’m so glad you’re happy about this.”
“How could I not be? A baby with you. It will be the most beautiful, wonderful baby in the world.”
“So you won’t worry about your genetics?”
“My genetics are my genetics. All I know is that we will give any baby of ours a wonderful, happy home.”
I felt a vibration.
Jonah reached for his phone in his back pocket. “It’s a text. Talon. He wants us to come to breakfast tomorrow. Says he has some great news.”
“Great news is always good,” I said. “Maybe they got more information from Mills and Johnson.”
“I hope so. We need to finally put this thing to rest.”
“Remember,” I said. “We control our own lives. Whether we ever find out the real truth, we can have a beautiful life.”
He took my hand and led me to the bedroom.
* * *
When we arrived at Talon’s house the next morning, I was surprised to see Marjorie holding an adorable child with blond hair and blue eyes.